The present invention relates to a rack for mounting on a truck, trailer or the like and more particularly to a dump rack mountable on a truck and other type of vehicles.
Contractors, suppliers, and others have trucks and trailers for transporting various types of supplied, equipment, tools, and many other items or articles. Many of the truck and trailers have racks for transporting long items, such as ladders, brakes, tripods, pipes of all kinds and sizes, lumber, rebar, steel, siding, and other long items which typically do not fit in the bed of the truck or trailer.
Most racks have stationary frames attached to the side rails of the bed of the truck or trailer. Typically, there is a forward upright frame member and a rear upright frame member both with cross members. Typically, the frame forms legs extending downward from the ends of the cross member for attachment to the siderails. Longitudinal members extend between the forward and rear members to make a complete frame or rack. Other support members, additional legs, cross members, and attaching devices are incorporated on the frame based upon the particular application. As such, there is a wide variety and many configurations known and used. Many are factory made and many are custom made as needed.
The fixed and stationary racks are generally loaded by lifting the item or article to be transported to the height of the top of the rack and then placed on the rack. The item or article is then secured by ropes, chains, bungee cords, or by other known securing means. Some items can be placed by lifting one end and placing the end on an edge of the rack. The opposite end is then lifted and the item is slid in place on the rack. Either way the items are lifted in one way or another.
The items or article are unloaded from the rack from one side or the other, or are pulled off the rear end of the rack. The items are either lifted from the rack and removed, or one end is slightly lifted and the item is pulled off the rack. Once the end is close to sliding off, the pulled end is lowered to the ground and the end on the rack is lifted off and set down.
It is often difficult for one person to load or unload a rack, especially if the items are heavy, long or bulky. Often two or more persons are used. Loading and unloading requires lifting weight from a low position to a high position or from a high position to a low position. Both loading and unloading is strenuous work which can result in injury. Plus, items are often dropped when being loaded and unloaded. This can and does result in personal injury to the person performing the work, and property damage. Additionally, it can be time consuming to load and unload the rack, especially when articles are heavy or cumbersome and two or more persons are required. This results in expending expensive man-hours and possibilities of personal injury.
The dump rack of this invention overcome several of the problems associated with fixed and stationary racks. The rack pivots to dump it""s load. The rack of this invention requires a minimum amount of work and requires basically little if any physical exertion to unload the items on the rack. The rack of this invention also eliminate hazards when unloading. Since the rack pivots to dump its load, there is no strenuous activities for the person unloading the rack. Since the user is operating the rack from a remote location, there is no danger of the items falling or hitting the person.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a dump rack that is adapted to fit most if not all pickup trucks, and other types of vehicles and adapted for use to safely haul materials of different nature which are generally to long to fit within the vehicle itself.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a dump rack that is constructed to pivot between a lower position and an upper position for use in dumping or unloading the load being carried by the dump rack.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a dump rack that is adapted for dumping its load by raising the front and lowering the rear. In the arrangement of this invention, the dump rack raises in the front and lowers in the rear to thereby provide rear clearance of the vehicle with a substantial lift height at the forward end to allow the load to easily slide off the rear of the dump rack and clear the vehicle.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a dump rack that can eliminate hazards to the worker, eliminate hazards to the vehicle and other property near by, and eliminate time needed for unloading materials from the rack. The use of this invention the worker does not have to manually unload the rack to thereby eliminate the hazards to him and to eliminate the amount of time.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a dump rack in which the load can be unloaded in a very rapid manner yet in a very controlled situation. With this invention, the load can be easily unloaded at a fast rate or at a slow rate as determined by the rate and height of lift.
To accomplish the foregoing and other objects of this invention there is provided a dump rack and more particularly to dump rack for attachment to pickups and other vehicle in which the rack pivots to dump its load.
The dump rack of this invention is basically a rack for attachment to pickups, or other vehicles, that is used to haul materials, tools or supplies. Typically racks of the past are fixed and can not dump and are usually used to carry ladders, lumber, pipes, or other items to long to fit within the bed. The dump rack of this invention is used as a regular pickup rack, but has the extra provisions to dump the load.
There is a stationary frame that attaches on the pickup box. The frame has side members attachable to the top edge of the pickup bed and a cross member that fits at and within the front of the bed. A pivot frame is pivotally attached to a forward location on the stationary frame. At the rear of the stationary frame there are rear pivot legs pivotally attached by a support bracket. A front portion of a dump frame is pivotally attached to the pivot frame attached and a rear portion of the dump frame is pivotally attached to the rear pivot legs. A lifting mechanism, generally and in the preferred embodiment a pair of hydraulic cylinders, pivots the pivot frame between a lower position and an upper position. As the lifting mechanism pivots the pivot frame, the dump frame is pivoted with the front end being raised. As the front end is raised, the rear end of the dump frame is pivoted rearward and downward to provide clearance and a lowered dump height for the load. As it lifts or pivots, the load is dumped off the rear.
The above mentioned and other objects, and features of the present invention will be better understood and appreciated from the following detailed description of the main embodiment thereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings.